Yang

So long as I control my Golem Dragon equipped with the Dragon Shield, Shiho can't destroy my Stardust Dragon! Mateo thought to himself. With this, I can protect my life points, provided, of course he can't summon a monster to attack directly! This close to zero, pulling off this victory will be a miracle! But it's something I have to do, because if I don't, then I'm a goner!

"You've done well to protect your field from my attacks, Mateo." Shiho stated. "Even if I could switch Golem Dragon into attack mode, your Dragon Shield will defend your Life Points, as well as your monsters. And if I somehow used a card to destroy the Dragon Shield, you'd just use your Stardust Dragon's effect to prevent its destruction. But while you may think you're safe, you're mistaken. See, I have a plan around this new obstacle, and then you won't stand in my way any longer!"

"Thank you."

"But it matters not! I happen to have a monster in my deck that can attack directly! My Azurian Councillor!"

"You used that in order to summon Justiciar Dragon, unless you've forgotten."

"Of course not. But like any good duelist, I have two! And it's my turn!" Shiho drew a card from his deck. "So far, fate seems to have favored you. But that will soon change! I'll end my turn."

"My turn, then." Mateo drew a card, and looked at it. This Defense Draw will come in handy. Right now I'm at a hand disadvantage. With no cards in my hand, and his hand nearly full, I can't come up with effective and elaborate strategies! But there is one card that will allow me to change this around! "I'll set one card facedown and end my turn!"

"My turn, then! And fate favors me, now! I summon the Azurian Councillor in attack mode!"

"Huh?"

"Councillor! Attack Mateo Yurigaya directly! Reduce his attack points to zero!"

"Not quite! See, I've got a Defense Draw ready and waiting!"

"Defense Draw?"

"That's right! When I take battle damage, I can use my Defense Draw trap card to reduce the damage to zero and draw one card from my deck!" Mateo called as he drew his card. Yes! Fate is still on my side! "However, if you like to see me get hit, I still will!"

Mateo looked over to the Councillor as it charged up and struck him, a tiny shockwave causing the walkway to creak once again. "Stop for a second."

"What now?"

"Every time I get hit by your monsters, it causes a shockwave that causes this walkway to deteriorate." Mateo pointed to the damaged sections of the walkway. Shiho looked, and realized that this duel was causing real damage to the surroundings. "So long as this duel continues, real damage will occur to this place."

"You're mistaken, Mateo." Adachi replied. "See, only Shiho causes real damage."

"What?" Shiho turned and looked at him, wide-eyed.

"Your dark miasma." Adachi replied, to both Mateo and Shiho's confusion. "Not only does it corrupt the Signers that lose, it also seems to deal real damage in any duel. And it's been getting stronger."

"I can see that." Mateo replied, and Adachi scoffed. "But we're talking… Wait, did you say 'corrupt the Signers that lose?'"

"Now do you see why we will win? With every victory, we'll draw in new followers, in the process charging up our Signers while weakening yours!" Adachi explained.

"What being do you serve? I thought the mortal enemies of the Crimson Dragon and its Signers were the Earthbound Immortals and their Dark Signers!"

"We are the Azure Signers!" Adachi and Shiho both pulled up their sleeves to reveal their Signers marks, and they started to glow a radiant blue. "And we serve the Azure Dragon!"

"The what?!"

"That's right! Now, Shiho, finish him off!"

"I…" Shiho looked back down at the damaged walkway. "…I end my turn."

"My turn, then! And I play my Chest of Greed! With this, I can draw until I have six cards in my hand!" Mateo drew five cards off the top of his deck. "I activate Monster Reborn in order to summon Turbo Booster back from my Graveyard! Next, I activate Creature Swap! We both select one monster and give it to our opponent, and I'll be giving you my Turbo Booster!"

"No way!" Shiho looked at the card, and down to his own monsters. Either of my monsters are incredibly valuable! If I give him my Justiciar Dragon, he'll lay waste to my Life Points! And if I give him my Azurian Councillor, he's got the stage set for a powerful Synchro summon! But wait. Maybe it's a bluff. Maybe he doesn't have everything needed for a Synchro Summon, but if he gets my direct attacking monster, he can win! If I give him my dragon, then he'll just destroy my monsters and win anyways! "Ah! There's no way out!"

"That's right! Choose, Shiho. For either way, this turn will result in your defeat!"

"Take my dragon, then, Mateo! If you think you've got the strength to wield it!" Shiho called as a blast of white light caused both Turbo Booster and Justiciar Dragon to swap positions. As soon as Justiciar Dragon was on Mateo's field, he felt a dark force pressing on his head. The dragon glared at him, as well as Stardust Dragon. "Because you have no WATER-attribute monsters in your graveyard, Justiciar Dragon's attack will drop back down to 2600!"

"That's fine. Stardust Dragon! Use Shooting Sonic to destroy the Azurian Councillor!" Stardust Dragon blasted energy at the Councillor, but the Justiciar Dragon soared into the path and intercepted the blast. It opened its mouth and blasted energy back at Stardust Dragon, and Stardust exploded. "Aaaagh!"

Mateo: 200 LP-100 LP

Mateo, Shiho, and Adachi all watched in surprise as Justiciar Dragon defended Shiho, however Mateo's surprise was short-lived as the walkway collapsed under the stress of Justiciar Dragon's counterattack. Mateo started to fall, as the walkway crashed through the rotten wood below. "Whoooaaaaaa!"

"Mateo!" Shiho grabbed onto the cable with his free hand just as the cable reached the handrails of the now destroyed walkway. Mateo's fall was stopped, but with a sickening crack, he felt a sharp pain shoot through his left arm. "Are you alright!"

"Yeah, but I think my arm's dislocated!"

"What are you doing, talking to him? Finish him off!"

"Shut up, Adachi!" Shiho shouted.

"Shiho! Pull me up!" Mateo called, but Shiho sighed. He unclipped his Duel Disk from his arm carefully, and wrapped the cable around the railing. Mateo felt the extra slack as he dropped slightly, causing more pain to shoot through his arm. "Agh! Shiho!"

"I'm sorry, Mateo, but I can't do that!"

"Shiho?"

"Don't worry. I have no intention of letting you fall to your death today." Shiho spotted some old bolt cutters, and he ensured that the knot he tied was strong before he picked them up and cut the additional cable attached to the claw on his Duel Disk, and the claw deactivated and fell off. "We'll find out who was the winner some other time."

"Why not now? All you have to do is attack with your Councillor! What are you waiting for, you coward?"

Shiho punched Adachi and then held him against the wall with his arm. "I call the shots. Not you. Now let's go."

Adachi nodded grimly, and they started to walk away, but Mateo called from the hole. "Shiho! Don't leave me like this!"

"I won't. I'll call Yusei and tell him where you are. Don't try to find me again. Goodbye, Mateo Yurigaya. We most certainly won't see each other again for quite some time." Shiho and Adachi walked towards the door, Mateo still hanging from the walkway.

"Shiho!" Mateo shouted. "This won't be the end of this, Shiho! I'll find you again, and I'll make you see! I'll show you that you still have light within you!"

"Good luck with that." With that, Shiho and Adachi were gone, and Mateo was alone with a dislocated shoulder.

I started to prove it to you, Shiho! Mateo thought to himself, trying to stay conscious despite the pain. If you were as dark as you think you are, you would've just let me fall to my death, or defeated me! We will see each other again soon, and I will show you the light, by showing you my Signer Dragon's power!